"Karun Nair Not A Number 3 Player": Gautam Gambhir, Shubman Gill To Make This Change At Lord's
Right-handed batter Karun Nair has so far failed to impress with his performances in the first two Test matches.
- Sanjay Manjrekar questioned India's decision to omit Sai Sudharsan after one Test match
- Manjrekar suggested Sai Sudharsan should bat at No 3 in the Indian Test team
- He stated Karun Nair is not suited to bat at No 3 in his opinion
Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has raised questions over some of the selection decisions made by the Indian team management during the second Test against England, particularly the omission of young batter Sai Sudharsan after just one match. Speaking on an ESPNcricinfo video, Manjrekar said that while a win can often overshadow questionable calls, he found some choices surprising. "There were some very interesting selections made in the last game which I didn't agree with," Manjrekar said. "In the end, a win can put a cover on those decisions. I thought Sai Sudharsan, after just one match, would be left out, considering he is a young player that we are looking at for the future. He played pretty okay in the second innings. I'd like to stick with him but this team management is slightly different and they are not afraid to chop and change depending on the vibe," he added.
Manjrekar went on to advocate for Sai Sudharsan to be slotted at No. 3, while also commenting on the suitability of Karun Nair in that position.
"I would like to see Sai Sudharsan at number three. Karun Nair is not a number three player in my book," he stated.
"It is unfair to drop him after one Test if everyone is getting big hundreds. I think Sai deserves that opportunity as well," he added.
At the same time, Manjrekar expressed his support for Karun Nair, citing the emotional context of his selection and return to the side.
"I would like Karun Nair to get one more chance just because of the story around his selection and comeback," he said.
Manjrekar suggested that Nitish Kumar Reddy could make way for Nair further down the batting order.
"Maybe Nitish Kumar Reddy could make place for him down the order," he said.
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Karun Nair